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S. C. C'. CURRIE.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

June 26, 1888.

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STATES PATENT STANLEY C. C. CURRIE, OF LONDON, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX,ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THECURRIE-TIMMIS ELECTRIC AND RAILWAY SUPPLYCOMPANY, (LIMITED.)

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,962, dated June 26,1888.

Application filed )lay l0, 1887. Serial No. 237,749.

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, STANLEY C. C. CURRIE, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, and a resident of the city of London, in the county ofMiddlesex, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Raill way-Signals, of which the following is a speci 'erted inlowering the signal.

fication.

My invention relates to railway-signaling apparatus of the kindexemplified in United States Letters Patent to Timmis 8: Currie,respectively numbered, entitled, and dated as follows: No.293,116,electromagnet and armature, datcdrFebrnary 5, 1884, and No.326,068, railway-signal, dated September 8, 1885.` ,In this last-namedpatent an ordinary counterbalanced signal-arm swinging vertically on apivot is shown as normally held at danger7 by the counter-balance, andas pulled down to safety by a magnet energized by a current controlledby a shiftinghandle. Vheu in its forward position-that is, with thesignal at dangerleits magnet is not energized. When pulled back to lowerthe signal to safety,77 the full force of the current is eX After thesignal is lowered a slight forward mo'vement of the shiftinglever shuntsin a resistance which materially reduces the current and thus economizespower while holding the armature in proper relation to the magnet. Thesignal is released by moving the shifting-lever forward by hand, whichbreaks the current and allows the signal automatically to return todanger77 by the action of the counter-balance.

My improvements may be used in connection with other forms of apparatus;but are designed with special reference to that above described, whichexperience has demonstrated to be efficient.

The object of the first part'of my improvements is to send a returnsignal from the one acted on to the switchmans station, which maybe outof sight of the signal, which I do by interposing in thesignal-actuating circuit an indicator, the needle of which issufficiently dead-beat, so that after being deflected through a certaindistance by the passage of the main current it is again momentarily de-(No model.)

flected in the opposite direction by means of p the reactionary inducedcurrent which is` producedwhen the armature ofthe actuatingmagnetstrikes home, or. in other words, when the magnetic field of the mag-netis sho1't-circuited by contact of the armature on M the poles.

The object of the next part of my improvements is to hold theshiftinglever after it has turned the signal to safety in its half-wayposition, or that in which the reduced current is flowing. This I do byinterposing in the circuit a high-resistance magnet, in addition to thesignal-actuating magnet, in such 1nanner that when the shfti Lig-leveris pulled back to actuate the signalthe resistancemagnet isshort-circuited and the full current flows through the signal-nctuatingmagnet; but when the lever is hall' advanced the resist,- ance-magnet isshunted in and the current Hows through said resistance-magnet, (therebybeing much reduced,) the armature of which holdstheshiftingleverandsignal at safety The object of the next part of my'inven` tiolr is automatically to restore the shiftinglever to -itsnormal position of danger when the signal is in that position, or whenthe current stops in the circuit from any cause. This l do by means of aspring acting on the shifting-handle, in opposition to the pull of thercsistancemagnet. y

My improvements further comprise certain novel organizations ofinstrumentalities for` herein shown, which, being well known and i notclaimed, will not be particularly described. Figure l represents adiagrammatic viewjof the entire apparatus, and Fig. 2 an end eleva tionof the switch apparatus. y

Circuit-wires 1 2 are shown as connecting a battery or other suitablegenerator of elec- A Ito trieily nith a magnet, A, preferably of theform shown in Letters Patent No. 293,116, abovcmentioned, which iscalled a sucking magnet--that is, one consisting of two concentric-tubesmagnetically united and energized by an interposed insulated coil in theusual way and provided with a cup-shaped armature, the rim of whichoverlaps the top of the magnet, a central stem of the armature workingin the cavity of the inner tube. The armature is shown as connected by acord or chain, c, with a shaft or windlass, c', from which acounterbalanced signal-arm is operated. The details of thesignal-arm andits appurtenances are described in Patent No. 326,068, hercinbeforementioned.

The circuit employed is preferably a closed one, and is utilized to holdthe switch-lever in its intermediate position, as hereinbeforedescribed.

The magnet-circuit is made and closed by a shifting-lever, D, which itis often desirable or necessary to locate out of sight of thesignalstation. that the signal-shifter should know whether the signal isin proper position or not. To enable him to ascertain this fact withcertainty, I arrange in the circuit near a station acalibrating-galvanometer or current-gage or other suitable well-knownindicator, X. The signal normally stands at danger/7 beingcounterbalanced or otherwise held in that position, so that it requiresthe positive action of the magnet to shift or pull it down to safety7Vhcn the shifting-lever is pulled back, so as to energize theactuating-magnet and pull down the signal, the Yneedle of my indicatoris detlected through a distance suli'icient for the purpose required. Ifind in practice ten degrees on a two-inch needle sufficient. It beingdeadbcat, it becomes almost immediately stationary at the deflectedpoint. As soon, however, as the armature a comes in contact with themagnet A a counter or reactionary current of momentary duration is setup in the circuit which aetuates the galvanometer-needle, and thusindicates to the signal-shifter that the armature is home, and hencethat the signal is properly set.

Of course, in addition to the above, I may frequently be required to usea repeater of the ordinary type to show the position of the signal-arm;but the above dead-beat77 indicator not only shows when themagnet-armature is houle, but in so doing enables the signalshifter toknow when to let the shifting-lever go to the intermediate position-thatis, when to switch in the resistance. mum current need not be on longerthan absolutely necessary to draw the armature down.

In this instance the shifting-lever is shown as moving in a verticalplane around a pivot, d. One side of this lever carries a plate, d', ofconducting material, which rubs against contact-plates 2 3 4, connectedin t-he circuit. The two lower contact-plates, 3 4, it will be observed,are longer than thenpper one, 2, and

In such case it is highly important\ Thus the maXi-' the upper and lowercontact-piates, 2 4, are connected with the circuit-wires 1 2, while theintermediate one,3, connects with a wire, 6, which runs through anelectro-magnet, E, to the maineircuit wire 2. v

Vhen the shifting-lever is pulled back, as before remarked, totheposition Di,(shown in dotted lines,) the conducting-piece d is incontact with the pieces 2 and 4, and consequently the full force of thebattery flows through the circuit of the signalmagnet and pulls thelever d own. Assoon as this is donethe lever is moved forward by hand toits intermediate position. (Shownin full lines in thedrawings.) Thismovement is assisted by a compressionspring, F, the tension of which issuliieient, if unopposed, to throw thelever forward into its normalposition D', which is that which it occupies when the signal stands atdangelx When the shifting-lever is in the intermediate position abovedescribed, the current flows through the contacts 4 3, thus including inthe circuit the resistance-magnet E, which, as before remarked, is madeof a high resistance, so as to reduce the current passing through it,say, from a full current of ten volts down to a current of one or twovolts. This magnet is made with a tubular iron core, e, and iron enddisks, and a disk-shaped armature, E, provided with a central spindle,e', of brass or other non-magnetic material, and with a, tension-spring,c2, on the end ne'Xt the lever, which spring tends to keep the spindlein contact with the lever and the armature in contact with the magnet.This springis of much less strength than the one F, which acts in theopposite direction; but the spring and magnet combined are strong enoughto hold the lever in its intermediate position when the current isflowing through the resistance niagnet E. In place of springs I may usecounterweights.

Reducing the amount of current flowing through the magnet obviouslyeffects a great economy, as the reduced current is sufficient to do thework required at the time.

It will be seen from the above description that when the 'lever ispulled back the signalmagnet is energized with a full current, and whenthe lever is moved to the intermediate position above described thecurrent is shunted through the high-resistance magnet. To restore thesignal to the danger7 position, the lever is shoved forward to itsnormal position, which releases it from all the contacts and breaks thecircuit. Should the current stop from any cause while the lever standseither in its intermediate or back position, the spring F would at onceovercome the resilience of the spring e2 and force the lever forwardinto its normal position, thus setting the signal at .anger, at the sametime forcing the armature E away from its magnet. The advantage of thisarrangement is obvious, as a number of shifting-levers and signals couldbe controlled from a common point by breaking the circuit with anywell-known form of circuitf IOO controlling apparatus, the effect ofAwhich would be automatically to restore all the shifting-levers totheir normal positions. The position of the switch would also serve asan indication of the position of the signal, and vice versa.

Having thus fully described the organization and operation of myimproved electric railwaysignal, what I claim therein as new, and desireto secureby Letters Patent, is

l. The combination,substantially as hereinbefore set forth,oi' anelectric railway-signal,its actuating-magnet and armature, itsnormallyopen controlling-circuit, a shifting-lever making and breakingthis circuit, and an indicator permanently connected with theswitch-operating magnet in the controlling-circuit,whereby theindicator` is actuated by a momentary return or reactionary currentcreated by the contact of the signal-actuating magnet and its armature.

2. The combination, substantially as herein-v before set forth, of thesignal-actuating magnet, its controlling-circuit, the shifting-leverwhich makes and breaks this circuit, a highresistance magnet in ashunt-circuit, and circuit-connections operated by the lever, alloperating substantially as set fcrthmrst to energize the signal-magnet,when the lever is pulled back, with the-full current, short-circuitingthe resistance, and then holding the shifting-lever in an intermediateposition by the resistance-magnet, which is cut in as AtheShifting-lever is advanced.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of thesignal-controlling circuit,theshifting-levcr which makes and breaks it,the high-resistance magnet, which holds the shifting-lever in itsintermediate position, and a tension-spring opposing the pull of themagnet automatically to restore the shifting-lever to its normalposition when the current stops.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of theshifting-lever, the resistancemagnet, its spindle, and itsencirclingspring interposed between the lever and magnet to keep thearmature and magnet in contact and ready to act on the levier.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of thesignal-controlling 4circuit, its contacts, the shifting-lever, thehighresistance magnet in the shunt-circuit, its protrudingarmature-spindle, and encircling-w spring to keep the magnet-armature inposition to act promptly against the shifting-leverwhen ance magnet in ashunt-circuit, its protruding armature-spindle, and encircling-springautomaticall y to throw forward the lever and separate the resistancearmature and magnet when the circuit is broken.

7. The hereinbefore-described automatically-retracting railway-signalingapparatus, con sisting of the combination, substantially as hereinbeforeset forth, of an electric railwaysignal, its actuating-magnet in acontrollingcircuit, ashifting-iever controlling said circuit, anindicator to show when the signal is set, a resistance-magnet shunted inby the shiftinglever to reduce the current while the signal isstationary, and an actuating spring automatically shifting the levertoits normal condition when the circuit is broken andthe signal reset.

8. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of anelectric circuit, a generator of electricity, an electro-magnet and itsarmature, its controlling-circuit, a railwaysignal operated by theelectromagnet and ar-4 mature, switch mechanism in the circuit forenergizing the magnet, and an indicator in the same circuit with themagnet and permanently connected therewithmvhich indicates the re` turnof the signal by means of the momentary return or reactionary currentcaused` by the contact of the magnet-armature or short-circuiting ofthefield-magnet.

In testimony whereof I have hercuntosubscribed my name.

STANLEY c. c cuaain.

\ Witnesses:

Trios. J. HUNT, GEO. R. THoMPsoN.

